MKX Character Variety

[RM_NINfan101]

I used to for the first week...then moved elsewhere...

I found War God to suit my purposes well when Shinnok would get his shit kicked in, plus he has an armored launcher I find way easier to combo off of.

 

[buyacushun]

Yes.

I did it while I was eating lol.

I dont

Yes.

I did it while I was eating lol.

I think you missed MoS Ermac and Imposter Shinnok. A little too busy on that lunch break huh?

 

[cambros22]

@buyacushun
How much info would you like on the character's specific play style?
Could there be a category for a hybrid playstyle?

 

[Daemantalo]

@buyacushun
How much info would you like on the character's specific play style?
Could there be a category for a hybrid playstyle?

There are definitely room for hybrids. We're just compiling a general list so that way for later we can refine it and such. Feel free to throw ideas in this thread on Hybrid lists though.

 

[RM_NINfan101]

Shinnok is a weird character where he can rushdown just as much as he can zone due to his amazing normals and pressure as well as his meter gain. In fact, if you were to watch a Bone Shaper like D. R. this only kinda cements that he can do many a thing, counter-zone seems to be his unique forte at the moment, kinda like Smoke in some way with a mix of Shang Tsung.

 

[buyacushun]

@buyacushun
How much info would you like on the character's specific play style?
Could there be a category for a hybrid playstyle?

No need to write a guide but give me something along the lines of the general gameplan and what moves accentuate this. I put Outlaw Erron Black has great base mixups and a tick throw and capitalizes on this with the stab move for more damage and a DoT. Something like that.

EDIT: You can write as much as you like and I'll just summarize it as best as possible.

Shinnok is a weird character where he can rushdown just as much as he can zone due to his amazing normals and pressure as well as his meter gain. In fact, if you were to watch a Bone Shaper like D. R. this only kinda cements that he can do many a thing, counter-zone seems to be his unique forte at the moment, kinda like Smoke in some way with a mix of Shang Tsung.

Where do you think I should be characters like BS Shinnok (hehe). I was thinking of putting him in the footsie group. His normals aren't that fast correct? And it seems he doesn't really get going without meter. So he would benefit the most from using his normals at a distance to confirm and gain meter and then go ham. I def see MB hell sparks taking a hit somehow. Maybe not severe but a slight . . . . . . . . . normalization . . . . .

EDIT: Oh and please remember to tell anyone who might be of help. I feel it's also nice to see multiple players show an agreement on things like this. Also showing a bit of reasoning for peoples' decisions.

 

[RM_NINfan101]

No need to write a guide but give me something along the lines of the general gameplan and what moves accentuate this. I put Outlaw Erron Black has great base mixups and a tick throw and capitalizes on this with the stab move for more damage and a DoT. Something like that.



Where do you think I should be characters like BS Shinnok (hehe). I was thinking of putting him in the footsie group. His normals aren't that fast correct? And it seems he doesn't really get going without meter. So he would benefit the most from using his normals at a distance to confirm and gain meter and then go ham. I def see MB hell sparks taking a hit somehow. Maybe not severe but a slight . . . . . . . . . normalization . . . . .

His normals are actually quite exceptional. B3 is an 18 frame OH that's hard to react to, F4 is 6-7 frames, which is a comboable low. His d1 is 6 frames, a really good, far reaching fast down poke. D4 is great for checking people as they run up if Hellsparks is risky and low profiles jump-ins. He's definitely very footsie based with just three strings aside from Bone Shaper which has... 5? D3 is also really good. His D2 is 7 frames. Great jump-ins... Only issue is most of his strings start high except F2 I believe but it's -11. He kinda needs MB Sparks to be plus because nothing else is or has a gap like EX Amulet Strike. B2 is a good neutral on block move for spacing.

Yeah, us Shinnok players are kinda seeing what they do with MB Sparks. But considering he was just given all these buffs, I'd hate for them to nerf that this quick before EVO unless they feel it's broke. There's so many other characters that get more from their vortex to me. It's just the chip he does is a little obnoxious.

 

[cambros22]

Erron Black Gunslinger retains all of the rushdown, mixups and tackle pressure as other variations. His strengths are in chip damage and match pace control. Stand of stances allows him to gain massive meter building with SOS 3, its about 6/10's of a bar on block, and 8% percent chip damage on block. Stand off stance and coin flip overall are tools to throw a player off his rhythm not necessarily to zone. You still would need to be rushdown oriented to fully gain advantage over pacing of match.

 

[buyacushun]

His normals are actually quite exceptional. B3 is an 18 frame OH that's hard to react to, F4 is 6-7 frames, which is a comboable low. His d1 is 6 frames, a really good, far reaching fast down poke. D4 is great for checking people as they run up if Hellsparks is risky and low profiles jump-ins. He's definitely very footsie based with just three strings aside from Bone Shaper which has... 5? D3 is also really good. His D2 is 7 frames. Great jump-ins... Only issue is most of his strings start high except F2 I believe but it's -11. He kinda needs MB Sparks to be plus because nothing else is or has a gap like EX Amulet Strike. B2 is a good neutral on block move for spacing.

Yeah, us Shinnok players are kinda seeing what they do with MB Sparks. But considering he was just given all these buffs, I'd hate for them to nerf that this quick before EVO unless they feel it's broke. There's so many other characters that get more from their vortex to me. It's just the chip he does is a little obnoxious.

Damn why have I not been playing more shinnok. He seemed so not interesting but I think he has exactly what I'm looking for and would definitely help me with my Raiden play. I'll leave him in the footsie/neutral category but I'll put a disclaimer or something that some characters can change their gameplan and these groupings are a sort of soft rule to go by.

 

[buyacushun]

Erron Black Gunslinger retains all of the rushdown, mixups and tackle pressure as other variations. His strengths are in chip damage and match pace control. Stand of stances allows him to gain massive meter building with SOS 3, its about 6/10's of a bar on block, and 8% percent chip damage on block. Stand off stance and coin flip overall are tools to throw a player off his rhythm not necessarily to zone. You still would need to be rushdown oriented to fully gain advantage over pacing of match.

I see. So you would see him in the rushdown category? He just uses to guns like an accessory to his gameplan like Cassie might in hollywood or brawler? Mostly is in your face but has tools to reach you from a distance so he can edge his way back in?

 

[cambros22]

I see. So you would see him in the rushdown category? He just uses to guns like an accessory to his gameplan like Cassie might in hollywood or brawler? Mostly is in your face but has tools to reach you from a distance so he can edge his way back in?

Thats why I was saying he is more hybrid. Erron black's default kit is rushdown. when I say pace control, Erron black's SOS allows for heavy followup with rushdown after confirmed hits. His problem is that these tools arent affective at opening a player up. I don't consider him a good zoner because his damage/ screen control isn't that strong. A lot of the cast can beat his SOS 4 spin shot because of its 22 frame startup. SOS 3 is distance dependent leaving you vulnerable and SOS 2 is a anti air that is inconsistent, hard to make a raw read on, and doesn't lead to any followup. SOS imo feels like a variation that you feel out in the match. Rushing down will always work because he is Erron Black, But to utilize the variation, there is quite a bit of conditioning that goes in as well.

 

[Laos_boy]

Kitana:
Royal Storm: Space control, zoning, and anti zoning

Mournful: Footsies, zoning

Assassin: Hit and run, zoning

 

[buyacushun]

Shinnok:
Impostor - Anti zoning/Footsies
Bone Shaper - Zoning/Anti zoning/Anti Turtle
Necromancer - A mix of zoning/anti zoning/Footsies

Quan Chi:
Sorcerer - Zoning/50-50's/Armor set ups
Warlock - Anti footsies/50-50's/Zoning
Summoner - Unparalleled offense/Zoning

Jax:
Heavy Weapons - Rushdown/Technical
Pumped Up - Anti Turtle/Rushdown
Wrestler - Grappler/Rushdown

Takeda:
Shirai Ryu - Zoning
Lasher - Zoning
Ronin - All around/Technical Rushdown

Kotal Kahn
Blood God - Passive buffs/Footsies
Sun God - Grappler/Footsies
War God - 50-50's/Footsies

Kitana:
Royal Storm: Space control, zoning, and anti zoning

Mournful: Footsies, zoning

Assassin: Hit and run, zoning

Please include reasons why. Like what tools make you feel this character belongs in that category. With this guide I'm sort of trying to sell the different characters to prospective players and I can't really do that by just stating "these 10 characters have 50/50s" or "These 5 characters are footsies based or good in the neutral game." Thanks for your help.

Thats why I was saying he is more hybrid. Erron black's default kit is rushdown. when I say pace control, Erron black's SOS allows for heavy followup with rushdown after confirmed hits. His problem is that these tools arent affective at opening a player up. I don't consider him a good zoner because his damage/ screen control isn't that strong. A lot of the cast can beat his SOS 4 spin shot because of its 22 frame startup. SOS 3 is distance dependent leaving you vulnerable and SOS 2 is a anti air that is inconsistent, hard to make a raw read on, and doesn't lead to any followup. SOS imo feels like a variation that you feel out in the match. Rushing down will always work because he is Erron Black, But to utilize the variation, there is quite a bit of conditioning that goes in as well.

I put a couple sentences saying that this guide isn't saying exactly how the character is to be played and for some characters it is more of a soft ruling and that characters can play completely differently for one matchup out of 50. So I'll leave [Gunslinger] Erron Black in the rushdown category. When players actually try out these characters and visit the respective forums they will get a better grasp on how certain tools can be used.

 

[cambros22]

I put a couple sentences saying that this guide isn't saying exactly how the character is to be played and for some characters it is more of a soft ruling and that characters can play completely differently for one matchup out of 50. So I'll leave [Gunslinger] Erron Black in the rushdown category. When players actually try out these characters and visit the respective forums they will get a better grasp on how certain tools can be used.[/QUOTE]

Well then
Gunslinger- chip damage and pace control. He isnt rushdown.

 

[buyacushun]

I put a couple sentences saying that this guide isn't saying exactly how the character is to be played and for some characters it is more of a soft ruling and that characters can play completely differently for one matchup out of 50. So I'll leave [Gunslinger] Erron Black in the rushdown category. When players actually try out these characters and visit the respective forums they will get a better grasp on how certain tools can be used.

Well then
Gunslinger- chip damage and pace control. He isnt rushdown.[/QUOTE]

I guess every time we interact it's going to be a back and forth huh?
If he is chipping and trying to control the match how bout the footsie/neutral category? I feel that covers the characters who are passive but not exactly zoners and the offense characters who aren't exactly rushdown.

 

[cambros22]

Well then
Gunslinger- chip damage and pace control. He isnt rushdown.

I guess every time we interact it's going to be a back and forth huh?
If he is chipping and trying to control the match how bout the footsie/neutral category? I feel that covers the characters who are passive but not exactly zoners and the offense characters who aren't exactly rushdown.[/QUOTE]

Agree

 

[buyacushun]

I guess every time we interact it's going to be a back and forth huh?
If he is chipping and trying to control the match how bout the footsie/neutral category? I feel that covers the characters who are passive but not exactly zoners and the offense characters who aren't exactly rushdown.

Agree[/QUOTE]

Cool. I don't know what it is but quotes when you post are coming out weird. Just a heads up and thanks for the help. Tell your friends to stop by and be a part of something great!!!

 

[DarthVado]

Gunslinger, I think it is very much so a zoning variant. SOS 4 is very good during projectile wars if used in conjunction with caltrops, and once you get that hit, he gets a free sand grenade after, the caltrops also make a character like Sub Zero have a harder time capitalizing on a trade since they will stop his run. You can use this for plus frames to go in for a mix up, or to continue zoning. His coin flip's strength comes from two things, it's diagonal arc, which makes it hard to avoid, and the fact that it essentially works as a dive kick from a Capcom game but in projectile form. What I mean by that, is the closer the bullet hits the opponent to the ground, the most advantage you get, with it being around 0 on block if you hit below the knee. It's usage in pressure is limited at best, since it's slow, and off many Erron strings, he cannot hit them below the knee, and this causes him to be negative, or even punishable. In zoning it's a very good and diverse tool.

His space control is also a lot better than it initially seems. If you use all his specials, and gun normals, Gunslinger can actually cover all approaches. 32 is a mid hitting move that knocks away on block and is pretty hard to jump. His F132 ducks a lot of projectiles, then punishes them with the gun. up close he is decent, but he lacks a lot of the pressure and damage of his counter parts, so zoning is generally his most comfortable place.

 

[Rodney Quillz]

This game clearly requires any player to have a good defense, the standard warning to anyone new in this game, or that is having a character crisis is that this game will expose players with bad defense, so you might want to pick your character based on what weakness the said character can cover better.

The second rule is that anything that whiff in this game is extremely punishable, which is a good thing, and to hit anyone in the game, even to option select you will have to commit to your buttons, so if you can whiff while they're comiting to pressure or option select they're giving you reasons for a good punish.
I for once enjoy a good footsie game and i like my punishes clean, so i tend to whiff a bunch of opponent's moves to get a clean punish most of the time, so the characters i play in this game revolve around this utility as primary weapon and cover the areas where my gameplan is sort of a weak spot.

I main characters that have a balance between a good offense, but have tools to defend and force other characters to respect their neutral game.

A-list Johnny Cage (Run Cancel Variation)
Ninjutsu Scorpion (Disjointed Hitbox Variation)
Hellfire Scorpion (RC Variation)
Tanya (All 3 variations)
And i'm currently scouting on Goro and Displacer Raiden

A-list Johnny is a character with a 50-50 mixup pressure and a good neutral due his walkspeed, he can AA other characters with Jab, and his F3 travels a dash distance and can be run canceled to hit confirm his whiff punishes, which in consequence makes a extremely trip guard punisher.

NInjutsu Scorpion has two swords that extends beyond his body which makes a disjointed hitbox, at certain ranges he can win trades, but the specialty of this variation is footsies, his B2 anti-airs from far ranges, F2 and B2 breaks armor, which in turn makes his wakeup game stronger and force opponent to be hesitant on when to wakeup, his amazing range and pressure with standing 1 and standing 4 that leaves him a +2 gives a good room to whiff punish anyone that presses buttons even if he doesnt have the greatest walkspeed in the game, he has an excelent air control with J3 and can even punish trip guard with teleport.

Hellfire has the flame aura, one of the best specials in the game, it forces characters to press buttons way earlier when they jump to avoid getting caught by its activation, but scorpion has a great air control, remember? Although is one of the technical variations scorpion offers, it loses his ranged normals, but gains specials that can be used in distances his limbs can't reach.

Tanya is still a complex character, all her variations are usable and her teleport and F2 changes roles according to the variation, if you like to play Zoning pick Pyromancer, whoever i use Rushdown with this variation.

If you want a balance between offense and defense, pick kobujutsu

If you want a straight footsie game with decent range pick Draginata.

Do you have any vids of you playing a list cage?

 

[Eddy Wang]

Do you have any vids of you playing a list cage?

This last sunday i put a small show with him on the grand finals, the vids are not up yet though.

 

[Houndovhell]

I want to thank all of you guys for not puttting SubZero as a zoner. BibleThump <3

One of the reasons I love sub zero? Definitel all the mind games that ensue when you play as him. I definitely love all the options MKX's Grandmaster Sub-Zero has. I've recently rediscovered why i love this character so much.

As for the variations -

Grandmaster: This is the best by far, due to the excess options. Id consider this a medium risk medium reward character, with opportunes for setups and maybe more damage. Using the ice clone sparringly, while maintaining control is how to go. Get the opponent to the corner and hit them until theyre crying in the fetal position wishing it were over. mmm, salty frozen tears. The clone setups, along with shatter/shatter combos is an amazing aspect to grandmaster, yes. But the clone adds to subs control game. Clone mid screen, throw some snowballs, hell, throw the clone if you want to. When that clone is out, the opponent can do 2 things. Wait and defensively try to destroy it, or offensively destroy it, ike using armor.

Cryomancer: I seen someone say this is the rush down, and has better 50/50s, but it doesnt. The hammer is reactable offline, and i'm not one for sticking to online habbits. This character is definitely more of a footsies character, waiting on your opponents mistake - or making them feel like theyre making a mistake. The restand is highly situational and you have to know your opponent. and If they know your gameplan, it wont work. But you can d4 for advantage and frame trap into B12 hit confirm. I feel they left the restand at neutral to emphasize the strengths of this character. The footsie/ground game whereas GM is more control/"setup"/punish

Unbreakable: Now, some will argue about this variation. Some this is the best variation in the game, but some dare to say its the number 1 rushdown option for Sub-Zero. Lets look at why that is. Aura - reduced chip on block and reduced damage from EX. hmm? more life? dont have to worry about getting close? SWEET. Shield - lets say youre getting pressured by kung pow chickun. Not even armoring out of the hat spin, but you can interrupt his strings with the shield, punish, and re-gain your momentum. Now, the downside to this variation is theres nthing to truly scare the opponent, especially since Jump Ins are so free to this variation.

This is kinda just a write up of whats going thorugh my mind right now, pretty tired and just laying in bed xD so yeahh, lots of babbling, but thats how id describe the different variations. ^the way i described Unbreakable is what got me into playing him so seriously^

 

[Daemantalo]

Holy crap! This got a sticky! Lol.

 

[buyacushun]

Holy crap! This got a sticky! Lol.

Really?! Oh crap I did something meaningful enough for a sticky. Go me. But really. Tell your friends AND your enemies to stop by and drop some thoughts. This could be something very good to have for MKx's lifetime.

Thanks @Houndovhell for the write up.

 

[I GOT HANDS]

Really good thread man, props to this, its an amazing useful resource for beginners and even somewhat useful to someone like me as well, who has played a lot of competitive MKX but doesn't have a vast range of different opponents, only like 20 or so.

P.S. Mileena is a hard one because fits in almost all 3 categories and needs to be drawing from each at all different stages of her gameplay. She is very much about unpredictable play.

 

[I GOT HANDS]

Sub-Zero most definitely and undeniably falls in the Footsies category with the first 2 variations, yes Cryomancer too. As already said, the extra damage doesn't make him rushdown, and his variation specific tools do NOT help him get in all in fact arguably hurt it because of the standing reset, he does not have any rushdown tools not available to the other variations.




Unbreakable however is a point of contention as @Houndovhell mentioned.



I think it's definitely a Rushdown character if you were to use him as an all rounder main because that's the only real use EX-Aura has, and his standard Aura isn't something you really pick the character to use against most mix-up characters, it's just an added "bonus" when it happens to work. However it's pretty debatable even then that EX-Aura has any use what so ever as it's generally just sub-par as far as damage reduction goes, to just saving that bar for breaker.

However against some characters that lack 50/50's and deal heavy chip (Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, etc") his standard Aura is actually really good instead of something that "meh may as well get it up just in case" like it is against characters with strong 50/50's where it MIGHT be useful, and as such he can really fill a kind of defensive "niche" against such match-ups.

I'd probably just classify him in both footsies and in rushdown.